FCTA Crack Down on Illegal Motorcycles, Crushing 1,509 in Five-Month Operation

The Joint Task Force Team of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) intensified its efforts on Thursday, impounding and crushing 639 commercial motorcycles for unauthorized operations within the Abuja capital city.

This recent crackdown brings the total number of commercial motorcycles impounded and subsequently crushed to a staggering 1,509 between August and December. The previous months saw 400 motorcycles crushed in August and another 470 in September, marking a determined effort by the authorities to enforce the ban on illegal motorcycle operations.

The motorcycles impounded on Thursday were seized at strategic locations within the city center, including Airport Road, Gudu, Lokogoma, and Games Village, where illegal motorcyclists had been operating, according to reports by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Abdulateef Bello, the director of FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), led the operation and emphasized that the crushing was intended as a deterrent to those flouting the ban. He stated, “The idea of crushing them is to serve as a deterrent to those who don’t believe that there is a ban on the operation of commercial motorcycles in the FCT.”

Expressing concern over the persistence of illegal motorcycle operations despite previous arrests, Mr. Bello vowed to conduct intelligence gathering to understand the reasons behind the high number of operators violating the ban.

Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Haruna Garba, represented by ACP Operations, Mode Magawata, emphasized that the impoundment and crushing were crucial to eliminating potential criminal activities within the FCT. Magawata highlighted the alleged role of motorcycles in facilitating crimes such as one-chance incidents, bag and mobile phone snatching, and drug peddling.

The crackdown received support from various security agencies, aiming to curtail criminal activities in the city. Olusola Odumosu, the commandant of FCT Command of NSCDC, represented by Deputy Commandant Hussain Pama, stressed that enforcing the ban on commercial motorcycle operations would contribute to reducing the overall crime rate in Abuja.